Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk wants to give Jurgen Klopp the perfect send-off as the manager prepares to depart the club at the end of the season.
While the news to Van Dijk and his team-mates came as a bitter pill to swallow, they respected his decision.
"It's a hard one to take, because the manager means so much for us, to me, to the club, to the whole Premier League I think. Van Dijk told the official club website.
"But he made the decision for him and his family. It was always going to be a tough one and it was definitely the case."
Virgil on the boss 🗣️ pic.twitter.com/mw1TwnasTu
— Liverpool FC (@LFC) January 27, 2024
For Van Dijk and his team-mates, they will look to use this news as extra motivation for the rest of the season as they compete on four fronts - Premier League, EFL Cup, FA Cup and UEFA Europa League.
"It's a hard one to take but our mindset is to focus on business. We have a lot of targets still to achieve this year and why not finish the season on a high and together with celebrations for the boss as well?
"I think how we always try to manage noise from the outside. Of course this is massive, it's massive news in football. For us, it was also a very big day. But we have big targets this year and that's definitely stressed by the manager as well.
"For us and for me personally as well, I want to make sure the rest of the boys think like that too. I think that's the case as well. We all want to achieve so much and that mindset was already there since pre-season and that doesn't change.
"It will maybe even give you an extra boost to do that extra or maybe enjoy it a little bit even more together and make the last part of the season, the last bit of the manager's time at the club, the best time he's ever had.
"That's what we strive for and that's why it's business as usual."
Virgil van Dijk interview: 'Let's make the rest of the season a special one'
Liverpool have a big week ahead as the fixtures are coming thick and fast, they play, Norwich City in the FA Cup. In the Premier League they face Chelsea and Arsenal all in the space of a week.
However, the message remains the same with the Reds looking to add to Klopp's trophy collection one last time.
